Which came first? The chicken or the egg? Well, the same might be said
about Mesothelioma and asbestos. In this case, however, the answer is
very clear.
The relationship between Mesothelioma and asbestos was only established
in the last 100 years or so. This is rather odd because asbestos has
been used by human beings for thousands of years. Kings have used it as
table clothes. They’ve dressed slaves in it in ancient times and so on. In truth, asbestos is a wonder material. It is a naturally occurring substance that is extremely heat and fire retardant. As you can imagine, this makes it perfect for a myriad of uses. So, why was there never a correlation between asbestos and Mesothelioma in the past? The answer is simple.
Mesothelioma has a long latency period and can take 40 years or more before it manifests and is diagnosed. In the ancient past, most people didn’t live long enough for the cancer to appear. That is no longer the case.
Modern human beings have a much longer lifespan than our ancestors. On average, men and women live into their 70s. This means there is plenty of time for asbestos exposure to result in a Mesothelioma diagnosis. Given this, we have learned slowly and painfully that the wonder material of asbestos may be incredibly heat and fire resistant, but the fibers that make up its core can do massive damage to the human body, often fatally so.
Asbestos comes in different colors, but often has the texture of dirt in its natural form. This is misleading. It is actually a collection of fibers. When these fibers get into the air, they tend to stay aloof for a very long time. Those working around the area inhale the fibers and the health problems start. One can be diagnosed with asbestosis which is a scarring of the lungs. As if that isn’t bad enough, once can also eventually develop one of the many kinds of Mesothelioma that are terminal in the vast majority of cases. It is not a good situation.
The relationship between Mesothelioma and asbestos is one that has haunted hundreds of thousands of people who have died as well as their family. Join us in calling for a permanent and total ban of asbestos use throughout the world today.
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